Agree 100%

November 13th, 2006, 16:58

Originally Posted by doctor_kaz
I think it's less that the role has disappeared than that it was never there to a large extent in the first place. The disappearances of Troika, Black Isle, and Bioware from PC gaming haven't helped.

I'll agree that "Role" has never existed. Planescape tried, but you were really just a page turner in a story already written. I don't think SP crpgs can have multiple meaningful roles to play and be successful. Oblivion works for me because your "role" is a master-of-all trades character. Playing only one role in Oblivion would be impossible. Games like Gothic and PS:T tackle this differently. They make an adventure game, and add x amount of statistical crpg elements to their character and call it a crpg. You have basically two choices in single character role-playing games:

Designer Roleplaying games-This is a game where your character has been created for you and you're playing the role the designer drew up for you. There will be several choices within the game, but your role is defined already. You get to "flesh out" the character to differing degrees. Planescape, Gothics, Ultimas, Deus Ex, etc., fit this mold.

Statistical-based Roleplaying games-This is a game where picking your stats, skills, abilities, etc., define your role. You're not playing a role, you're picking a set of rolls/choices to build your game. These games are much less focused because of the number of options in character creation. The best of these games make your choices have consequences, but most games don't bother. The rest of the game is written so that no matter which set of rolls you choose, the outcome of the game is the same. There might be a few things that are specific roll related, but these won't affect the main storyline. The Elder Scrolls games are like this.

Games like NWN try to blend the two by having a party. The main character is statistical-based and the party is designer roleplaying.

I'm thinking that Corwin is right. If you want to play a "role" playing game, join a persistent online world that has game mechanics you enjoy. This is the closest thing we have to roleplaying.

I like character building and exploration games. That they call these crpgs is okay with me "Role" playing demands other people be involved; either other actors or an audience. SP games don't give that.